I've noticed when I cast I can feel the line on my thumb, a couple times I've actually birds nested which brought my cast to a very sudden stop. I'm using a Lews LFS on a 7' Fenwick HMG medium heavy fast. This it with 3/8 oz chatterbaits, 1/2 oz frogs. This reel doesn't have centrifugal brakes, is there anything I can do to reduce this?

Are you saying the birds nests occur at the beginning of the cast?  If so, then you need to smooth out your casting stroke.  Every year when I visit Florida I wind up backlashing a lot at the beginning of my casts for the first couple days because I have to change my casting stroke.  I have to stop it short, and find myself jerking the forward part of the cast.  This starts the spool up faster than the lure is pulling out line.  Believe me this happens with every reel not just my magnetic reels.

1 minute ago, new2BC4bass said:

Are you saying the birds nests occur at the beginning of the cast?  If so, then you need to smooth out your casting stroke.  Every year when I visit Florida I wind up backlashing a lot at the beginning of my casts for the first couple days because I have to change my casting stroke.  I have to stop it short, and find myself jerking the forward part of the cast.  This starts the spool up faster than the lure is pulling out line.  Believe me this happens with every reel not just my magnetic reels.

That's makes sense, I was casting overhead due to trees beside me, and I was putting some muscle behind it for distance. I'll try to pay attention and see if I can smooth it out. Thanks 

Try less magnetic brakes and a touch more spool tension 

13 hours ago, frosty said:

That's makes sense, I was casting overhead due to trees beside me, and I was putting some muscle behind it for distance. I'll try to pay attention and see if I can smooth it out. Thanks 

 

It is more difficult for me to remain smooth with a hard overhead cast than a sidearm roll cast.  I like to make a slight roll cast with the overhead unless looking strictly for accuracy.  I haven't got it down good enough yet to be real accurate with that cast, but it does help smooth out the rod's reversal.

4 hours ago, new2BC4bass said:

 

It is more difficult for me to remain smooth with a hard overhead cast than a sidearm roll cast.  I like to make a slight roll cast with the overhead unless looking strictly for accuracy.  I haven't got it down good enough yet to be real accurate with that cast, but it does help smooth out the rod's reversal.

Yeah I normally do a sidearm roll cast, they are very smooth for me and the bait just enters the water so softly, I love it! Unfortunately this place I've been fishing is a no boating pond, it's an old quarry, you have to get your feet wet to get to deeper water, there's several small trees that have grown on the little islands so I don't have much choice in cast style. 

Whats your line?

3 hours ago, Smokinal said:

Whats your line?

50 lb power pro.

 

I had it happen a few more times today, tried turning the tension up and the brakes down. Maybe it's just me? I was casting the tiny hula popper, it would actually cast it if I let the rod load. I think I'm just whipping it so the lure is going slower than the spool. 

16 minutes ago, frosty said:

 if I let the rod load

Key words right there.

 

I know Devo was great but don't whip it!!

 

 

2 minutes ago, Smokinal said:

Key words right there.

 

I know Devo was great but don't whip it!!

 

 

I'm going to have that stuck in my head for awhile  I gotta keep myself calm and not get in a hurry!